Why anti-war?

I’ve written a few anti-war on Iraq articles, but haven’t really talked about my position. I am somewhat torn on this issue, as I can imagine circumstances in which I could believe that war is a good idea herenow.

My strongest argument against the war is that I really don’t trust the people who are pushing us straight into it. The antics of Bush and Cheney are well-documented (where they haven’t been able to suppress the records from their employers, the public). These men have been players in a world I cannot conceive. Try to imagine calling the Minister of Public Works and Services of Argentina and gently suggesting that you and your father, the President of the United States, feel that it would be a good idea to award a multi-million dollar pipeline deal to Enron.

Honestly, if I felt that Iraq was truly setting up to hurt the United States, I may be a bit more sympathetic to the war effort. As it is now, however, I see a campaign that has many dark intentions, hidden motivations, and dishonest direction.

I am fully aware that Saddam has performed atrocities against the people of his country. This is happening throughout the world. Why don’t we move into Israel and topple their goverments with their inability to come to terms with anything reasonable? There are plenty of African and South Ameican and Asian countries with dictatorships. Saudi Arabian royalty were direct contributers to the 9/11 tragedy. North Korean leadership is crazed as well. Probably posturing, but crazed. The arguments for this war apply to any of these countries, but Iraq is our focus.

The insults and intolerance, and inability to articulate valid arguments of the pro-occuption people, the lies being spread. It seems that the nation is divided (by design, I believe) into two sides (with many many perspectives on most of those), one which believes that this issue is worth discussing, and one which believes that talk is cheap, let’s fight for freedom and freedom fries. A man was kicked out of a mall and is being brought up on charges for wearing a Give Peace a Chance shirt. True, he was asked to remove it or leave the premises, but the blatant suppression of speech is ludicrous and reactionary. ( here’s some info…they later fire the security guard.)

Let’s get our heads on straight and talk about this. No more threats to the UN about it obsoleting itself by voting against the US. No more speeches claiming that the world has spoken and we must go to war. No more sensational photos and grim, fear-inducing speeches, followed shortly by a change to Code orange on the Terror alert system. Stop equating war and intolerance with patriotism, and understanding with ‘against us’. It’s really not that simple, so stop saying it. Statements like that help to divide the country, because there are those who take it at face value (as they might read the Bible literally), and those who stop to think, and wonder, why or how could this be true? Even by asking the question of yourself, our leadership imples that you are aiding the enemy, a traitor.

Overall, I believe that this war is a bad idea. A lot of innocent people will die. I believe that it will cause grave harm to our economy, wreaking havoc on those countries who base their economies around the dollar. Things will get ugly if that happens. Terrorism will not be eradicated, and more likely it will be inspired. America will have lost a great amount of trust from its allies and partners across the globe who it is belittling and insulting right now. The big winners will be the people who have backed Bush and Cheney all along.

Let’s not give in to fear and paranoia. Take a rational stance on this. You don’t have to agree with me, but let’s have some heated discussions about it. Blind acceptance is not the duty of every patriot.